PUERTO RICO - Jordan O'Neill Cintrón. He stands out with his long hiar--when he lets it loose, it's so straight that one thinks of 1970s-era Cher when looking at his long, straight jet-black locks. That distinctively striking style and appearance was probably the main reason he won the Top Model special award. Like EL SALVADOR, he may look swarthy but he has these mannerisms that made me think he's 1st runner-up in the Sy Lee Fabulousness award.
RUSSIA - Ilgiz Farrakhov. He's one who is able to maintain his enviably chiseled physique all throughout his stay in Thailand. He also seems to have a very simpatico personality. However, even if most of the time most Asian people would gravitate towards Caucasian features automatically and label them as handsome, this guy's facial features have a toughness to them that he evokes a cross between two classic 1980s movie villains, The Karate Kid (1984)'s John Kreese (as played by Martin Kove) and Rocky IV (1985)'s Ivan Drago (as played by Dolph Lundgren)*4. I'm not confident that his enviably chiseled bod would be enough for him to be in serious contention for the Top 15.
*4 Though their reputations as out-and-out baddies have been rehabilitated somewhat in subsequent works like the TV series Cobra Kai and the film Creed 2 respectively.
SIERRA LEONE - Maligie Kamara. He seemed to simply be a worthwhile contender but onstage he seems to be usurping the spotlight that could've gone to NIGERIA that it seems he could be the "black-man-most-likely". However, I have a quibble about his performance in swimwear during the preliminary competition as he botched his catwalk while trying to add a patriotic twist by carrying his country's flag during that segment. Would he be severely penalized or would his otherwise high energy presentation compensate for it?
SINGAPORE - Muhammad Fuad Al-Hakim. He previously saw action at Manhunt International in 2016, seven years ago. So it's not that surprising he's the oldest contestant in this batch at 33 years old. He fits the typical Singaporean male pageant contestant--beefy buffed bod with a non-charismatic face. So it's likely he's not going to make the cut in this pageant like what happened seven years ago. He would've gotten notices for his physique, but he's the rare Asian whose consumption of Thai cuisine reflected on his frame during the preliminary competition. Wonder if his metabolism slowed down significantly because of his age?
SOUTH AFRICA - Jonathan Albert Lambert. He may have only gotten a minor sponsor's prize thus far, but buzz has been rising steadily for this guy as he exudes a heady does of charisma in his public appearances as the days wore on. He delivered a sterling performance during the preliminary competition that he seems to not only make a play for the Final Five, but perhaps go all the way to the Final Three. Hope the predominantly Thai selection committee could comprehend his South African accent and we won't see an upset shut-out like what happened to Marcus Max Karsten back in 2019.
SPAIN - Pedro Cordero Infantes. To my eyes, he's the handsomest guy in this batch, a classically handsome clean-cut Spaniard. Though he may not have much physique definition unlike many of his peers, he was able to maintain a lean and trim physique throughout his Thailand stay. I also have concerns about his speaking voice, as he doesn't quite convey swagger and confidence like we expect from many top contenders (and is voice tends to sound tinny and boyish), but he seems to convey a humble attitude that could be read as charming. Even if he did not garner any sponsor's prizes nor special awards, I'm still bullish towards his Top 15 prospects as his handsomeness is just too good to resist.
It's interesting to note that he was not the original designated Mister Global title holder in his national pageant (Mister RNB España), as he only finished as 1st runner-up. But he got the job as the original titleholder, Nacho Sikora, has commitments in his day-job that he cannot compete. In my opinion, I'm actually glad this happened as I find Nacho more of a quirky type that might not go over that well with many people (including myself) while this guy is handsome in the classical sense.
SRI LANKA - Gihan Danushka Silva. He may not be conventionally handsome, but I like his lean and rippled physique (which he maintained well into the preliminary competition), scruffily manly look and dark complexion. However, with the onslaught of CBAs and other highly competitive contenders, he could be considered at most a worthwhile contender and may not be to the taste of the predominantly Thai selection committee.
SWITZERLAND - Marcel Ignacio Riera. I regarded him as a front-runner when he competed in last year's Mister International, so I was shocked that he only got as far as the Top 16 and failed to advance to the Top 10. He seems on the path to improve on his standing from last year's pageant as he exuded a lot of charisma and sex appeal, and maintained his enviably rippled and chiseled physique all the way to the preliminary competition. I guess being vegan helped him limit his food intake and helped him maintain his superb shape. I hope he gets to improve on his previous standing at Mister International and advance.
TAIWAN - Kevin Davalos Wei Tai. He was born in Paraguay and raised in Brazil, but he has Taiwanese grandparents, whom he was very close to, so he moved to Taiwan to be more in touch with his heritage an this side, and as a result got a career as a TV presenter there. With his multi-ethnic features*5 that are highly prized across the Asian market, he seems to be winning over the Thai crowd and garnered a bunch of sponsors' prizes and special awards.
*5 I hesitate to call him "Eurasian" as he was born and raised in South America, so it wouldn't be that clear if the South American side of his heritage is solely of European extraction, or if there is a mix of , say, indigenous cultures mixed along with it.
THAILAND - Patihan Pengsook. He's another member of the CBA contingent. Most people would presume that being the host contestant there would be a semifinal slot allocated to him, but with all the bevy of CBAs out there that have more compelling cases, he could be elbowed out of a slot.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO - Aaron Mohammed. After confirming his participation then no-showing last year, he finally made it to this pageant. He's a very attractive contender who seems to have good communication skills. But would interview skills be enough to make up for a less-than-noteworthy performance during the preliminary competition?
VIETNAM - Lê Hữu Đạt. He reminds me of Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, but with the European side of his heritage diluted by half. He has amassed a significant share of sponsors' prizes and special awards (like 1st runner-up for Best National Costume), so he looks like a front-runner.
With all 36 contestants accounted for, let me now trot out my leaderboard:
TOP CONTENDERS: CHILE, SOUTH AFRICA, TAIWAN, VIETNAM
SHOO-INS: ECUADOR, HONG KONG, INDIA, KOREA, MEXICO, MOROCCO, MYANMAR, SPAIN, SWITZERLAND
LIKELIEST: BRAZIL, CUBA, FRANCE, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, NIGERIA, PANAMA, SIERRA LEONE, THAILAND
INTERVIEW/PERSONALITY FACTOR: CANADA, PHILIPPINES, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
UNIQUENESS FACTOR: PUERTO RICO
EXCELLENT: CZECH REPUBLIC, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, LAOS, NEPAL, RUSSIA, SRI LANKA
VERY STRONG: MACAU, SINGAPORE
STRONG: CAMBODIA
Now, here is my "Fearful" Forecast:
FINAL THREE: CHILE, SOUTH AFRICA, TAIWAN
FINAL FIVE: ECUADOR, VIETNAM
TOP 10: HONG KONG, INDIA, KOREA, MOROCCO, SWITZERLAND
TOP 15: FRANCE, MEXICO, MYANMAR, SIERRA LEONE, SPAIN
BUBBLING UNDER: BRAZIL, CUBA, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, NIGERIA, PANAMA, THAILAND
STRIKING DISTANCE: CANADA, CZECH REPUBLIC, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, LAOS, NEPAL, PHILIPPINES, PUERTO RICO, RUSSIA, SRI LANKA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
This is actually one of those compettiions that is tough to call, although it seems based on buzz and special awards, CHILE (Alvaro Flores) seems to have the upper hand, with SOUTH AFRICA (Jonathan Lambert), TAIWAN (Kevin Davalos Wei Tai), and VIETNAM (Lê Hữu Đạt) closely nipping at his heels. Plus do not discount the likes of ECUADOR (Bruno Barbieri), HONG KONG (Oliver Cheung), and INDIA (Dylan Jason Bretfelean) pulling off an upset. The messier part is determining the rest of the Top 15, as 33 (or 34) of the guys seem to be making strong to compelling cases of belonging in that prized circle. Can't wait to see how the results unfold. Good luck to all the gentlemen!
JUST ME!
JOSEPH
